Method and means for use in lasting shoes



April 16, 1935.

F. N. LA CHAPELLE METHOD AND MEANS FOR USE IN LASTING SHOES Filed NOV. 50, 1932 Patented Apr. 16, 1935 PATENT OFFICE METHOD AND MEANS FOR USE IN LASTING SHOES Fred N. La Chapelle, Beverly, Mass, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Paterson, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application November 30, 1932, Serial No. 644,999

26 Claims.

This invention relates to the lasting of shoes, and in some aspects more particularly to the holding of uppers in lasted position while an adhesive or cement used to secure them in that position is setting or while box-toe-stiifening material is hardening. The invention is herein illustrated by reference to the lasting of the toe ends of shoes, but it will be understood that it is likewise applicable to the lasting of other portions, such as the heel ends.

The toe ends of shoes, and likewise the heel ends, are commonly lasted in an end-lasting machine having wipers formed to embrace the end of the shoe and movable to wipe the marginal portion of the upper inwardly over the bottom of the last into lasted relation to a sole or insole (hereinafter frequently referred to generically as the sole). When cement is used to secure the upper in lasted position it is, under the usual manufacturing conditions, impracticable to leave the shoe in the lasting machine until the cement has set. It has therefore been a common practice to apply to the shoe in the lasting operation temporary upper-holding means such as lasting tacks or a. clamping device portable with the shoe for holding the upper until the cement has set.

The present invention, in one aspect, provides a novel method in accordance with which wiping means, herein shown as the lasting wipers themselves, is fastened to the shoe to hold the upper in lasted position and is removed from the lasting machine with the shoe. As herein illustrated by reference to the lasting of the toe end of a shoe, the toe-embracing wipers are fastened to the shoe by tacks that are driven while the wipers are pressing the upper firmly down upon the shoe bottom, the tacks being driven into the shoe through holes in the wipers and clamping the latter down on the shoe bottom by their heads. It will be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the fastening of the wipers in particular manner. The wipers are then disconnected from their holders to permit their removal from the machine with the shoe, another of wipers bein placed in the machine for use in lasting the next shoe. It will be evident that by this procedure insurance is afiorded that the upper will be securely held in the exact position that it assumes under the action of the without any possibility displacement 1 -s of tension; and it will also be evident that pressure applied to the upper is such as to insure its firm adhesion to the insole over a wide area along the margin of the shoe bottom and to provide a smooth and even outer surface thereon over a corresponding area.

To assist in the practice of the novel method, the invention further provides wipers constructed for attachment to the shoe and removable from 5 the machine with the shoe, together with means whereby the wipers may be quickly disconnected or released from their holders to permit their removal with the shoe. In the construction shown the wiper plates are provided with a plurality of holes arranged to receive the shanks of tacks driven into the shoe bottom and of less width than the heads of the tacks to permit the plates to be clamped down upon the shoe bottom by the tack heads; and they are connected to their holders by retaining devices comprising cam members that are operative by short turning movements to effect a substantially instantaneous release of the plates from the holders.

The novel method and novel features of the means provided to assist in the practice of the method will now be more particularly described by reference to the accompanying drawing and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing, 25

Fig. 1 is a plan View of a portion of a bedlasting machine in which features of the invention are embodied, illustrating the practice of the novel method in the lasting of the toe end of a shoe;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view showing one of the toe wipers and the holder on which it is mounted, together with the means provided for effecting a quick release of the wiper from the wiper holder;

Fig. 3 shows one of the wiper holders in ele- 3 vation with the wiper removed; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of a. shoe with the toe wipers fastened thereto for holding the upper in lasted position.

While shoes may be lasted by the novel method of this invention in lasting machines of various types, the invention is herein illustrated by reference to a bed-lasting machine of the well-known type disclosed in Letters Patent No. 1,018,477, granted on February 27, 1912 upon an applica- 45 tion of Matthias Brock. It will be understood that in such a machine the shoe is supported at the heel end and the forepart for the lasting operation by means not herein shown, For lasting the toe portion of the shoe the machine is provided with toe-embracing wipers comprising wiper plates Ill carried by wiper holders l2 to which advancing movements lengthwise of the shoe and swinging or closing movements laterally of the shoe are imparted by a hand lever I4 55 connected to the holders by a plunger I6 and links I 8, the holders being guided in the proper paths by cam slots 20 and 22 formed therein and co operating with rolls (not shown) connected to a cover plate 24. It will be further understood that in machines of the illustrated type the wipers and their operating means are supported on a carrier movable upwardly and downwardly under control of a treadle (not shown) for wiping the upper first heightwise of the toe by means of the wipers and for pressing its marginal. portion downwardly upon the insole during and after the movements of the wipers to wipe the upper inwardly over the insole. The invention is herein illustrated by reference to the lasting of a shoe of that type in which the marginal portion of the upper is lasted over the outer face of the insole in generally parallel relation to the last bottom, the shoe herein shown being specifically a shoe of the Littleway type, and the illustrated machine is further provided with a toe band 25 such as commonly used for embracing and clamping the upper around the toe end of the last in operating on shoes of that kind, together with toe-band-operating mechanism of the same general character as disclosed in Letters Patent No. 1,495,169, granted on May 27, 1924 upon an application of J. Fausse and R. E. Duplessis.

When cement is used in the toe-lasting operation to secure the upper in lasted relation to the insole it is necessary in some manner to hold the marginal portion of the upper in lasted position until the cement has set. Since, it under tie usual manufacturing conditions, impracticable to leave the shoe in the lasting machine until the cement has set, it has been the common practice to apply to the shoe in the lasting operation some temporary means for holding the upper after the shoe is removed from the machine. In accordance with the procedure herein illustrated the wipers themselves are fastened to the shoe to hold the upper in lasted position and are removed from the machine with the shoe. While the wipers may be fastened in various ways, there is herein illustrated the use of tacks t for this purpose, the tacks being driven into the shoe bottom through openings or holes 26 in the wiper plates II] in such manner as to clamp the plates down upon the shoe bottom by the tack heads, the holes 26 being of less width than the tack heads to permit this to be done. The holes 25 are so arranged that the tacks are driven in locations at substantial distances both from the of the wipers and from the edge of the shoe bottom so that they will hold the wipers pre sed firmr down upon the shoe bottom throughout the width of that portion of the margin of the upper which they engage, and to provide room for the heads of the tacks when driven in such locations the wiper holders I2 are provided with notches 28 in their forward edges.

To permit the wipers to be readily removed from the machine with the shoe there is further provided means for quickly releasing them from their holders I2. As illustrated in Fig. 2, each wiper plate I is secured in a slot 29 in its holdr, which is spaced from the upper and lower faces of the holder, by a circular retaining member 30 provided with an upraised annular ridge portion 32 which engages the lower face of the wiper plate in an arc-shaped groove 34 in the plat and there-- by locks the plate against movement in its own plane relative to the holder. In the construction shown each plate has grooves 36 on its opposite sides so that the same pair of plates may be used for both right and left shoes. The momher 30 is movable upwardly and downwardly in directions transverse to the plane of the plates ID in a recess 35 in the holder I2 and has integral therewith a stud 36 extending upwardly through a hole in the holder in a di riion perpendicular to the plane of th mates and provided with a pin 38 which lies in a vertical groove 40 in the holder to prevent the member 30 and the stud 36 from turning. Rotatably mounted on the stud 36 in engagement with the upper face of the holder I2 is a sleeve 4.2 provided with a knurled head 14 for turning it about the stud, and also provided with a cam slot 45 in which lies a pin 48 projecting laterally from the stud 36. The cam slot 46 is so formed that by turning movement of the sleeve 42 through an arc of considerably less than 360 degrees the clamp member 30- may be forced upwardly into holding or locking relation to the wiper plate I? or may be rendered effective to release or disconnect the wiper plate from the holder. A small spring 50 is provided to force the mem er 30 downwardly when the sleeve 42 is turned in the direction to release the wiper plate, the spring tending to maintain the sleeve 42 at all times in contact with the upper face of the holder I2. In Fig. 3 the parts are shown in the positions that they assume when there is no wiper plate in the holder. It will thus be seen that the operator is enabled to effect a substantially instantaneous release of the wiper plates from their holders after they have been fastened to shoe by the tacks and likewise quickly to secure another pair of plates in the holders.

It will understood that the charccter 0f the operations performed in the last 1g of the toe before the wipers are fastened. to the shoe in the manner described will vary somewhat in accordance with the preferences of differ i manufacturers. It is a common practice, for example. to wipe the upper materials heightwise of the fee by the use of the wipers and then to wipe the marginal portion of the materials, including the upper leather, the box too stiffener and the liring, inwardly over the insole aroun" the toe prior to the application of any upper-holding cement to the shoe, after which the operator retra wipers and t ms the margin of th Joe Jiifcner and the lining back approxirat. o the edge of the insole around the toe, the toe band 25 at this time holdin the upper material/ clamped ment to th 2 and then wip he also opera the wipers to press the up firmly down upon the outer face of the insole.

pres ed agai the insole the ticing the method of this inv. i 7* the manner herein illustrated, drives tacks through he 26 in the wipers in such ii? to lamp the latter down upon the i y the acl; heads and thus to fasten them to the lice in pressure-applying relation to the operator then releases the Wipers fro ers 52 by turning movements of the and by use of the hand lever It withd holders from engagement with the Thereafter the shoe remove from he chine and set aside with the wiper: fasfoned to it, another pair of wipers being placed in the holders I2 for use in lasting the next shoe. After the cement has set the wipers are removed from the shoe by prying them upwardly from the shoe bottom, thus withdrawing the tacks from the shoe.

It will be evident that by use of the wipers in the manner described to hold the upper in lasted position insurance is afforded against any loss of the lasting tension and against displacement of any portion of the upper from the position that it assumes under the action of the wipers in the lasting operation. It will also be evident that while the cement is setting substantially uniform pressure is maintained on the upper from the edges of the wipers'outwardly to the edge of the shoe bottom so as to insure firm adhesion of the upper to the insole and to provide a smooth and even surface on the upper after the wipers are removed.

While the invention has been described particularly with reference to the lasting of the upper with cement, it is to be understood that the invention is not thus limited, but that the wipers may be used in the manner described to hold the upper in lasted position during the hardening of box-toe-stiffening material which, after hardening, serves to maintain the toe portion of the upper in lasted position. It is further to be understood that while the invention is illustrated by reference to the manufacture of a shoe in which the marginal portion of the upper is lasted over the insole in generally parallel relation to the bottom of the last, it is not limited to the manufacture of shoes of that particular type. As previously suggested, moreover, the invention is not limited to the lasting of the toe ends of shoes but is applicable, for example, to the lasting of the heel ends.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

i. That improvement in methods of lasting shoes which consists in wiping the marginal portion of an upper into lasted position over the bottom of a last and over a sole on the last around an end of the shoe bottom by the use of the wipers of an end-lasting machine, fastening said wipers to the shoe to hold the upper in lasted position, and removing the shoe from the machine with the wipers fastened to it.

2. That improvement in methods of lasting shoes which consists in wiping the marginal portion of an upper into lasted position over the bot tom of a last and over a sole on the last around an end of the shoe bottom by the use of the wipers of an end-lasting machine, fastening said wipers to the shoe with clamping pressure on their outer faces directed toward the bottom of the last to hold the upper in lasted position, and removing the shoe from the machine with the wipers thus fastened to it.

3. That improvement in methods of lasting shoes which consists in wiping the marginal portion of an upper into lasted position in substantially parallel relation to the bottom of a last over the outer face of a sole on the last around an end of the shoe bottom by the use of the wipers of an end-"lasting machine, fastening said Wipers to the shoe in positions to hold the upper pressed down upon. the sole, and removing the shoe from the machine with the wipers thus fastened to it.

4. That improvement in methods of lasting shoes which consists in wiping the marginal portion of an upper into lasted position in substantially parallel relation to the bottom of a last over the outer face of a sole on the last around an end of the shoe bottom by the use of the wipers of an end-lasting machine, faste" Wipers to the shoe by fastening means p ing the shoe bottom to hold the upper in 1a position, and removing the shoe from the chine with the wipers thus fastened to it.

5. That improvement in methods of lasting shoes which consists in wiping the marginal portion of an upper into lasted position over th bottom of a last and over a sole on the last aroum an end of the shoe bottom by the use of th wiper plates of an end-lasting machine, fasteninsaid Wiper plates to the shoe to hold the uppe in lasted position by driving fastenings into thshoe bottom, and removing the shoe from th' machine with the wiper plates fastened to it.

6. That improvement in methods of lasting shoes which consists in wiping the marginal pcrtion of an upper into lasted position in substantially parallel relation to the bottom of a over the outer face of a sole on the last around an end of the shoe bottom by the of the wiper plates of an end-lasting machine, fastening said wiper plates to the shoe to hold the upper in lasted position by driving tacks through holes in the plates into the shoe bottom with their heads in clamping relation to the plates, detaching the plates from the machine, and removing the. shoe from the machine with the plates thus fastened to it.

7. That improvement in methods of lasting shoes which consists in laying the marginal portion of an upper in lasted position over the bottom of a last and over the outer face of a sole on the last by the use of detachable wipers of a lasting machine, fastening said wipers to the shoe by fastening means penetrating the shoe bottom to hold the upper in lasted position, and removing the shoe fromthe machine with the wipers thus fastened to it.

8. That improvement in methods of lasting shoes which consists in laying the marginal portion of an upper in lasted position in substantially parallel relation to the bottom of a last over the outer face of a sole on the last by the use of detachable wipers of a lasting machine, fastening said wipers to the shoe by driving tacks into the shoe bottom with their heads in clamping relation to the wipers to hold the upper in lasted position, and removing the shoe from the machine with the wipers thus fastened to it.

9. That improvement in methods of lasting shoes which consists in wiping the marginal portion of an upper initially inward over the bottom of a last and over a sole on the last around an end of the shoe bottom so that said marginal portion lies throughout its width in generally parallel relation to the bottom of the last by the use of wiping means in contact with the upper, thereafter fastening said wiping means to the shoe in such manner as to hold the upper pressed upon the sole toward the bottom face of the last around the end portion of the shoe bottom, setting the shoe aside with said wiping means fastened to it, and late removing said wiping means from the shoe.

1!). That improvement in methods of lastingshoes which consists in wiping the marginal portion of an upper initially inward over the bottom of a last and over a sole on the last around an end of the shoe bottom so that said marginal portion lies throughout its width in generally parallel relation to the bottom of the last by the use of wiping means in contact with the upper, thereafter fastening said wiping means to the shoe in such manner as to hold the upper pressed upon the sole toward the bottom face of the last around the end portion of the shoe bottom with an adhesive between the upper and the sole, setting the shoe aside with said wiping means fastened to it, and after the adhesive has hardened sufficiently to hold the upper removing said wiping means from the shoe.

11. That improvement in methods of lasting shoes which consists in wiping the marginal portion of an upper initially inward over the bottom of a last and over a sole on the last around the toe end of shoe bottom so that said marginal portion lies throughout its width in generally parallel relation to the bottom of the last by the use of wiping means in contact with the upper, retracting said wiping means and trimming the marginal portion of one or more of the layers of upper materials around the toe, applying an adhesive at the toe of the shoe for fastening the upper to the sole, then wiping the marginal portion of the upper again inwardly over the sole by the use of said wiping means, thereafter fastening said wiping means to the shoe in such manner as to hold the upper pressed upon the sole toward the bottom face of the last, setting the shoe aside with said wiping means fastened to it, and after the adhesive has hardened sufficiently to hold the upper removing said wiping means from the shoe.

12. That improvement in methods of lasting shoes which consists in wiping the marginal portion of an upper initially inward over the bottom of a last and over a sole on the last around an end of the shoe bottom by the use of wiping plates in contact with the upper, thereafter fastening said wiping plates to the shoe to hold the upper in lasted position, setting the shoe aside with said wiping plates fastened to it, and later removing said wiping plates from the shoe.

13. That improvement in methods of lasting shoes which consists in wiping the marginal portion of an upper initially inward over the bottom of a. last and over a sole on the last around an end of the shoe bottom so that said marginal portion lies throughout its width in generally parallel relation to the bottom of the last by the use of wiping plates in contact with the upper, thereafter fastening said wiping plates to the shoe by fastenings driven into the shoe bottom to hold the upper pressed upon the sole toward the bottom face of the last, setting the shoe aside with said wiping plates fastened to it, and later removing said wiping plates from the shoe.

14. In an end-lasting machine, wiper plates for laying the marginal portion of an upper inwardly over a sole on a last around an end of the shoe bottom, said wiper plates being provided with openings to receive means for attaching them to the shoe to hold the upper in lasted position and being removable from the machine with the shoe while so attached.

15. In an end-lasting machine, wiper plates for laying the marginal portion of an upper inwardly over a sole on a last around an end of the shoe bottom, said wiper plates being provided with openings to receive means for attaching them to the shoe to hold the upper in lasted position, and holders on which said plates are detachably mounted to permit their removal from the machine with the shoe while attached to the shoe.

16. In an end-lasting machine, wiper plates formed to embrace an upper around an end of a last and movable to wipe the marginal portion of the upper into lasted position over a sole on the last, said wiper plates being provided with openings arranged to receive fastening means penetrating the sole for attaching them to the shoe to hold the upper in lasted position, and holders on which said plates are detachably mounted to permit their removal from the machine with the shoe while attached to the shoe.

17. In an end-lasting machine, wipers for laying the marginal portion of an upper inwardly over a sole on a last around an end of the shoe bottom, said wipers having openings therein to receive fastenings driven into the shoe bottom to fasten them to the shoe in upper-holding positions and being removable from the machine with the shoe while fastened to the shoe.

18. In an end-lasting machine, wipers formed to embrace an upper around an end of a last and movable to wipe the marginal portion of the upper into lasted position over a sole on the last, said wipers having therein holes arranged to receive the shanks of tacks driven into the shoe bottom to fasten the wipers to the shoe but of less width than the heads of the tacks to permit the wipers to be clamped down upon the shoe bottom by the tack heads, and holders on which the wipers are detachably mounted to permit their removal from the machine with the shoe while fastened to the shoe.

19. In a lasting machine, wiper plates for laying the marginal portion of an upper inwardly over a sole on a last, said wiper plates being provided with openings arranged to receive fastening means penetrating the sole for attaching them to the shoe to hold the upper in lasted position and being removable from the machine with the shoe while so attached.

20. In a lasting machine, wiper plates for laying the marginal portion of an upper inwardly over a sole on a last, said wiper plates having therein openings arranged to receive the shanks of tacks driven into the shoe bottom to fasten the plates to the shoe but of less width than the heads of the tacks to permit the plates to be clamped down upon the shoe bottom by the tack heads, and means detachably supporting said plates to permit their removal from the machine with the shoe while fastened to the shoe.

21. In an end-lasting machine, wiper plates movable to wipe the marginal portion of an upper inwardly over a sole on a last around an end of the shoe bottom and having openings therein to receive means for attaching them to the shoe to hold the upper in lasted position, holders on which said wiper plates are mounted, and devices for securing the wiper plates to their holders comprising members movable to effect a substantially instantaneous release of said plates from the holders while the plates are over the shoe bottom.

22. In an end-lasting machine, wiper plates movable to wipe the marginal portion of an upper inwardly over a sole on a last around an end of the shoe bottom and having openings therein to receive means for attaching them to the shoe to hold the upper in lasted position, holders on which said wiper plates are mounted, and devices for securing the wiper plates to their holders comprising members effective by turning movements each through an arc of less than 360 degrees to release said plates from the holders while the plates are over the shoe bottom.

23. In an end-lasting machine, wiper plates for wiping the marginal portion of an upper inwardly over a sole around an end of the shoe bottom,

holders on which said wiper plates are mounted, said holders having grooves therein spaced from their upper and lower faces to receive the wiper plates, and retaining members carried by said holders and movable in directions transverse to the plane of the wiper plates to secure and release the plates, said retaining members having thereon upraised ridge portions arranged to enter complementally shaped grooves in said plates to lock the plates against movement in their own plane relative to the holders.

24. In an end-lasting machine, wiper plates movable to Wipe the marginal portion of an upper inwardly over a sole on a last around an end of the shoe bottom, holders on which said wiper plates are mounted, retaining members carried by said holders and movable in directions transverse to the plane of said plates to secure the plates to the holders and to release them, and cam members arranged to control said retaining members and rotatable through arcs of less than 360 degrees about axes extending in directions transverse to the plane of said wiper plates to release the plates from the holders.

25. In an end-lasting machine, wiper plates movable to wipe the marginal portion of an upper inwardly over a sole on a last around an end of the shoe bottom, holders on which said wiper plates are mounted, retaining members carried by said holders and movable in directions transverse to the plane of said plates to secure the plates to the holders and to release them, said retaining members having studs thereon projecting from the holders in directions transverse to the plane of the Wiper plates, and sleeves rotatable about said studs and having pin and camslot connections therewith for operating said retaining members to secure or release the plates by the turning of the sleeves.

26. In an end-lastir1g machine, wiper plates movable to wipe the marginal portion of an upper inwardly over a sole on a last around an end of the shoe bottom, holders on which said Wiper plates are mounted, retaining members carried by said holders and constructed to interlock with the plates to secure them to the holders, said retaining members having studs thereon provided with laterally projecting pins, and sleeves rotatably mounted on said studs and having cam slots therein arranged to cooperate with said pins to cause the retaining members to lock or release the plates in response to turning movements of the sleeves.

FRED N. LA CHAPELLE. 

